Beads, ornaments and other jewelry parts are being made and sold everywhere, by hobbyists and by professional craftspeople. These workers often produce their own beads, ornaments, gemstones and metal decorations, as well as enamels, glasses, clays, polymer clays, plastics and paper products. Beads are collected for historical and anthropological interests, as well as for their intrinsic, esthetic and artistic values.
To a jeweler with substantial experience and the proper tools, making a fastening system for mounting beads, ornaments and similar jewelry parts is straightforward. However, for the average jewelry hobbyist, the task of making a system for fastening and displaying these items may be beyond the experience, skill, equipment or time available to the hobbyist. Standard findings are available, but these often do not meet the requirements of the hobbyist and do not offer the creative latitude or the look of fine jewelry that a hobbyist may seek.
Several patents disclose wire fastening systems for beads, ornaments, pins, earrings and similar jewelry items. These include U.S. Pat. No. 148,390, issued to Tappan, No. 635,249, issued to Hay, No. 741,024, issued to Von Frantzius, No. 1,515,313, issued to Pejchar, No. 2,275,984, issued to Nitchman, No. 2,287,865, issued to Carleton, No. 3,968,357, issued to Hamilton, No, 4,041,946, issued to Barton, No. 4,276,757, issued to Boening, No. 4,694,664, issued to Elsener, and No. 5,031,420, issued to Song.
What is needed is an improved wire connection system for display of jewelry and other items that (1) is relatively light and non-obtrusive, (2) allows easy assembly and disassembly, (3) securely holds the jewelry items in place in its assembled form and (4) enhances, rather than competes with, the appeal of jewelry items, such as beads, ornaments, gemstones and the like, that are displayed using the wire connection system.